Live from Flowery Branch: Stafford, Ziggy and the NFL draft!
Flowery Branch — A declaration: I wouldn’t have taken Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall. I say this as someone who saw his first collegiate pass (against Western Kentucky) and his last (against Michigan State) and several hundred in between. He’s a great talent, but I don’t think he’ll be a great NFL quarterback.
I thought he was a very good college quarterback, and there’s no doubt he fits the NFL prototype as well as anyone ever has — he’s smart, he’s tall and he has, as the world knows, that big right arm. My reservations have nothing to do with anything physical. My reservations regard attitude.
I see Stafford as a guy who too often tried to get by on the strength of that big arm and who threw too many killing interceptions as a consequence. (See Florida, 2008.) I see a quarterback who wasn’t so much a team leader as a solo act. More to the point, I’ve never seen in Stafford the attention to detail that you get with Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or, yes, Matt Ryan.
Not long ago I described Stafford as diffident, and I’ve since wondered if I misused the word. So I looked it up yet again — you can, too, by going here — and I’ve decided I didn’t. For all his gifts, Stafford is indeed reserved and unassertive. (And I mean in his demeanor, not as it pertains to his big arm.) I’ve never gotten the feeling that losing gnawed at him the way the Ole Miss game got to Tim Tebow.
And yes, those with long memories will recall that I wrote last fall that Stafford would outplay Tebow in Jacksonville. I was wrong. (Fancy that!) But it wasn’t so much that Tebow did anything extraordinary that day — he would subsequently do the extraordinary in the SEC title game against Alabama — as he avoided the Big Mistake. Stafford thew an interception (on first-and-10 from the Florida 30) when Georgia trailed 14-3 in the third quarter, whereupon the game fell apart.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.No, you cannot blame Stafford for Georgia’s three defensive collapses last season. But in three years of watching him I’ve never sensed he grasps the sensitiviy of his position. He can make all the throws, yes, but too often he tries to make one throw too many. He’ll throw into triple coverage or fling it off his back foot, and because he has the big arm he’ll sometimes get away with it. Sometimes, alas, he won’t.
If you’re the 0-16 Lions, you need a quarterback who can make plays. (Actually, you need everything.) But if you’re ever going to get good, you’ll need a quarterback who can manage games. I’m not sure Stafford can do that at the NFL level. He’s not Jeff George — he’s a better guy than that — but I do see in Stafford the same overrating of one big arm and the same underrating of football’s nuances.
There, I’ve said it. Perhaps you disagree. That, conveniently enough, is why there’s a comment box below.
Give me Ziggy or give me … sea bass?
I’m not going to lie. I’d love to see the Falcons take a defensive tackle in Round 1, and I’d prefer that tackle to be Evander Hood, who goes by Ziggy, of Missouri. But at this point I’m willing to grant Thomas Dimitroff the benefit of every doubt.
As UGA B wrote on the ol’ blog yesterday: “If I went to dinner with the guy and he told me to try the sea bass, I’d try the sea bass.”
And guess what the Falcons are serving for the media lunch/dinner? Sea bass!
(Kiding. According to publicist Frank Kleha, we’ll be dining on roast beef au jous and potatoes of some sort. I’ll save y’all some!)
Travel notes
I had my plan. I was going to listen to Sirius NFL Radio all the 51.4 miles it takes me to drive to Flowery Branch. But before I could switch over, “Medicated Goo” by Traffic was playing on Deep Tracks. Then came “The Loner” by Bernard Shakey. Then “Bouree” by Jethro Tull.” It was only after I hit Spaghetti Junction and Wishbone Ash came on that I flipped over. At which point …
The guys on “Press Coverage” were talking about — you guessed it — Stafford, and Lions fans kept calling in and griping about his contract, which calls for $41 million or $78 million or some number in between. Stop me if you’ve heard this already, but Detroit is in an economic slump. And a No. 1 pick making that kind of money going to that particular city is going to have to overcome a lot of negativity.
Then again, Ryan had more than a few folks to convince when he came here. But I say it again: Matty Stafford isn’t Matty Ice.
Round-by-round predictions
This from Sporting News Today, which offers a projection on every pick in all seven rounds. Here’s who SNT has the Falcons taking:
- Larry English, defensive end, Northern Illnois.
- Marcus Freeman, linebacker, Ohio State
- James Casey, tight end, Baylor
- Woody Turenne, cornerback, Louisville
- Clinton McDonald, defensive tackle, Memphis, and Ra’Shon Harris, defensive tackle, Oregon
- Tom Bradstater, quarterback, Fresno State
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
844 comments Add your comment
brewdawg
April 25th, 2009
3:47 pm
I’m wary to criticize an all around good kid that handles himself and represents UGA with class, but Mark, your assessment of Stafford is almost word for word what I’ve told my fellow UGA friends for a couple of years now. Yes, Mark, believe it. I agree 100 percent with you.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
3:48 pm
Its all about Attitude not altitude
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
3:49 pm
BrewDawg and I agree on something! Stop the presses!
JF
April 25th, 2009
3:51 pm
I second your opinion on Stafford. With the team surrounding him and a running back like Moreno his Junior season they should have gone further.
To toot my “gut feelings”, I “knew” that Favre would be special and almost choked when Glanville traded him.
When Vickk came along, there was nothing but uneasiness in my gut…
Now with Stafford….the gut says DOB is right….too bad New Orleans, Carolina, or Tampa didn’t just choke on him
sam k
April 25th, 2009
3:52 pm
I definitely agree with you. the $41.7 mil guarantee is ridiculous considering what Detroit and its citizens are going through. I’m a huge UGA fan but I’m not sold 100% that Stafford will be a star QB in NFL. with $41.7 mil, he better be the next Peyton Manning instead of Jeff George
country boy
April 25th, 2009
3:54 pm
Hello MB. I agree with you on my Dawg Stafford. I am pulling for him to do well but something keeps reminding me of Jeff George. Great natural gifts but not a true winner at heart. Hope I am wrong. Concerning the character concerns of the USC LB’s Matthews and Cushing who we are hoping would be available…. ..I would certainly think T. Dimitroff has pulled our tackle Sam Baker to the side and asked a few very direct questions. Baker played with both at least a couple of years. As I have posted before if Dimitroff selects a punter from Northwest Louisiana Poly Tech State with our first pick then I am on board. After last year we all know he is excellent at the draft.
Goldenglove002
April 25th, 2009
4:02 pm
ESPN just mentioned that the Falcons may be seriously pursuing Glen Dorsey now but didn’t expand on it, any idea where this rumor is coming from Mark?
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:05 pm
Stafford has great physical attributes but no fire in the belly.
Ted Striker
April 25th, 2009
4:05 pm
Mark, I’m not sure how one accurately compares Stafford’s ‘attention to detail’ — to Manning, or Brady, or Ryan. It can’t be done based on a body of NFL work since Stafford has none. I may be wrong, but I’m doubtful you saw that many collegiate games with Brady or Ryan. You probably saw a pretty fair number with Manning, though not as many as you did with Stafford. The point I’m making is that comparing “attention to detail” as a criteria sounds like a reach — at this point.
You know I’d give you a kidney if you needed one, but I disagree with you on your assessment of Stafford. I see no lack of confidence in Stafford — in fact, exactly the opposite. Reserved, unassertive? I don’t see it. In my view, Stafford has just the mentality to be a success. If you want someone that’s going to curse out his o-line and turn over a bench when he gets sacked, that’s not him…but I’ve seen Stafford under heavy fire and he may get bruised and battered but he’s cool.
And that’s maybe the crux of our difference. I think he’s cool enough not to let his mistakes stunt his growth, others might think he’s too cool to take them seriously. Opinions differ, but I believe Matt Stafford will be better in the NFL than he was in college.
country boy
April 25th, 2009
4:07 pm
I am curious too Golden Glove. What would we have to give up. Surely not just our first round pick. Maybe a player too ??? Help us out MB.
Eric
April 25th, 2009
4:08 pm
Mark I told you about that Dorsey rumor, they just said a trade could be in the works.
bass stringerfish
April 25th, 2009
4:09 pm
Ya’ll get over it. It’s not your money. It’s not your team. This is a great time for him and UGA football.
NH
April 25th, 2009
4:11 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing us give up a 1st and JA98 for Dorsey. That however is probably too good to be true
Goldenglove002
April 25th, 2009
4:11 pm
Would we want to give up our first pick for Dorsey? I don’t know that he’s really a better option than some of the guys we could get at that pick. Of course, I just don’t remember ever seeing him do too much this past year, which is where my opinion is coming from since I honestly don’t remeber too much about him. I also kept hearing alot of rumors about the Falcons possibly trading up with either the Rams or KC, though that shouldn’t be expected
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:12 pm
C’mon Mark—report—who is on the clock etc.—whats going on.
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:13 pm
I’ve heard the Dorsey rumor for three days, Eric. I believe it’s coming from Kansas City, not Flowery Branch.
Eric
April 25th, 2009
4:14 pm
I heard we would have to give up a first and either a third or fourth.
Goldenglove002
April 25th, 2009
4:16 pm
First and a third? then lets forget about that one. We need to get as many guys as possible in the first 3 rounds
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:17 pm
From esteemed colleague D. Orlando Ledbetter: Stafford’s first game as a Lion will be against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 15 in Detroit.
brewdawg
April 25th, 2009
4:17 pm
I don’t like fans booing their teams pick. Yes, the kids get a lot of money, but they are still kids. Booing them shows a lack of class. Stafford handled it well though, with a good-natured laugh as he was being booed.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:18 pm
My Dish is out—cant get ESPN Called Dish Network and got some idiot in India—I still dont know what he was talkin about
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:19 pm
OK, Jack, here you go: Stafford got drafted by the Lions at got booed at Radio City Music Hall but told Erin Andrews he loves a challenge. Jason Smith went next to the Rams. KC’s up.
country boy
April 25th, 2009
4:21 pm
I think you may be spot on MB concerning the Dorsey trade talk. Lots of $$$ considerations since Dorsey was selected so high last year.
TROTTINGHOME
April 25th, 2009
4:21 pm
Bradley your Uncle Tom Terence Moore’s brother.
I could have wrote that article taking my morning dump.
Ted Striker
April 25th, 2009
4:21 pm
Erin Andrews is a challenge.
TROTTINGHOME
April 25th, 2009
4:22 pm
LOL Jack G.
Stafford..over rated..over paid
April 25th, 2009
4:22 pm
Will die on the bench next to David Greene! Book it!
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:23 pm
Ted — that sound you heard? That was me laughing.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:25 pm
No info from Mark—guess i will have to go to ESPN.com to find out whats going on
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:25 pm
Tyson Jackson to the Chiefs…I dont understand that pick…
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:25 pm
Tyson Jackson of LSU goes No. 3 overall. Good player. I like him. I like him as much as I liked Glenn Dorsey. Maybe more.
Goldenglove002
April 25th, 2009
4:26 pm
Who takes Curry now? I really thought that he was going to KC
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:27 pm
I understand the Tyson Jackson is a good player. But is he worth the number 3 pick?
sam k
April 25th, 2009
4:27 pm
wow, TJ to the chiefs. I think that’s the first reach of the draft
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:28 pm
Seahawks on the clock…I think they go Sanchez.
Auburn Man
April 25th, 2009
4:29 pm
I heard all the same kinds of things about Matt Ryan too, all proven wrong. Give the kid a chance.
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:29 pm
Sanchez would be a good pick for Seattle…
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:30 pm
Give it a rest, Clean-Cut. He “looks like a hood”? You know that from one picture? Didn’t we stop judging people on their hairstyles back in … oh, the ’60s?
brewdawg
April 25th, 2009
4:32 pm
Off topic- I think Jim Mora Jr. will make a fine NFL head coach if he learned from his mistakes in Atlanta (coddling stars, inserting foot-in-mouth, etc).
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:32 pm
wow..Aaron Curry..Seattle =s got a great LB.
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:33 pm
Curry. Huh. Hope Sanchez doesn’t fall into the “Aaron Rodgers” zone.
CorkylikesBeer
April 25th, 2009
4:33 pm
I will be Seahawks fan this year. Curry seems like a class act.
craig miller
April 25th, 2009
4:35 pm
What’s with the rumor of KC trading Dorsey to us for a 1 and a 3?
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:36 pm
I think the Jets will trade into the top ten and draft Sanchez.. just a hunch.
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:37 pm
Aaron Curry to Seattle at No. 4. Sorry for the delay, Jack, but I was shooting a little video with esteemed colleague D. Led.
And Ms. Carroll Rogers has joined the festivities here, you should know.
Boiler
April 25th, 2009
4:37 pm
Cleveland…don’t they have 2 QB’s already
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:37 pm
Think Washington wheels and deals to get a QB here? Or does Cleveland keep the pick and go with Raji for the 3-4?
dgroy
April 25th, 2009
4:39 pm
His teammates won’t like him and will not try to make him look good because he’s an a$$H$$$ and has too big an ego. He cared nothing about his teammates at UGA only about trying to make himself look good…..he’ll be buried alive.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:39 pm
Any info on trading Vick’s rights for a draft choice??
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:40 pm
Well, looks like a trade happened, but it was the Jets, not the skins.
tbhawksfan
April 25th, 2009
4:40 pm
The first four picks have already thrown nearly all the mocks out the window.
La Jolla Dawg
April 25th, 2009
4:40 pm
Mark, I completely agree with everything you wrote about Stafford. He probably will do very little for the University of Georgia going forward, not sure he did that much while he was there. I have yet to hear him thank Coach Richt or Coach Bobo, but I haven’t been hanging on his every word either.
On the other hand, I am very excited for Moreno and Mo Mass. I would love to see Knowshown play for the Chargers–though I doubt it will happen.
CorkylikesBeer
April 25th, 2009
4:40 pm
Did Miss Carroll Rogers run over there?
country boy
April 25th, 2009
4:40 pm
IT matters not but is ESPN’s Chris Mortenson pounded??? Slurring, repeating himself and his eyes are half open.
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:41 pm
Give me a little credit, Jack. If the Falcons trade Vick’s rights, I certainly won’t keep that to myself.
Jets trade up to take Sanchez, apparently.
Green Tea
April 25th, 2009
4:41 pm
Is the Falcon fan they keep showing in the crowd at the draft wearing a Deangelo Hall jersey?? GEEZUS….
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:41 pm
Told ya the Jets would trade up into the top ten…great pick in Sanchez
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:42 pm
Yes. Sanchez to Jets.
Dorsey Hill
April 25th, 2009
4:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:43 pm
So much Erik Ainge’s hope to start in the NFL? Hahahaha! Never liked that guy.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:43 pm
Maybe trade Vick to KC for Dprsey
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:44 pm
Why would KC want Vick? Didn’t they sign Matt Cassell in free agency?
Green Tea
April 25th, 2009
4:46 pm
The Jets suck, so do their stupid fans.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:46 pm
Dorsey
sam k
April 25th, 2009
4:47 pm
why do so many teams like Sanchez? he had one good year @ USC. He’s gonna get killed in AFC east, playing NE and Miami 2x/year
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:47 pm
Cassell was traded from New England alongside Mike Vrabel. Vick for Dorsey will never happen.
eric
April 25th, 2009
4:48 pm
It’s difficult to know just how good he really is because he did not have a good QB coach in college (Bobo) to develop his talents. I don’t follow Detroit football, so I don’t know what calibre of QB coach they have on staff, but if he’s good then Stafford has the potential to be molded into an outstanding NFL QB because he has indeed had some shining moments during college that show he has some really good talent.
Then again, I never would have picked Matt Ryan either so high. So go figure.
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:49 pm
Sam, Cassell never started a college game at USC and he did okay for NE last year. Just sayin’ the inexperience argument doesn’t hold water.
raiderguy
April 25th, 2009
4:50 pm
Raiders take Crabtree or Raji
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:51 pm
Andre Smith to the Bengals…pretty good pick… Carson Palmer needs help.
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:51 pm
And the Bengals add Andre Smith to the Cellblock…
Green Tea
April 25th, 2009
4:52 pm
Andre Smith to Cinci huh? Well, there goes his career…
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:52 pm
Remember how Andre Smith had fallen all the way to Round 3 by walking out on the combine? He goes sixth overall to the Bengals.
And I don’t know why KC would want Vick, either. I think he needs to go to a team that’s pretty good already, not one that’s rebuilding.
country boy
April 25th, 2009
4:52 pm
the Bungles remain the Bungles.
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:52 pm
oops, I meant roster.
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:53 pm
Espn has a freakish obsession with Mark Sanchez…
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:53 pm
Disagree, CB. I like Andre Smith a lot.
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:54 pm
Brandon, I think it’s more that ESPN has a freakish obsession with all things Southern Cal.
brewdawg
April 25th, 2009
4:54 pm
would the falcons have taken andre smith and played him at rt if he had fallen? probably not i think
sam k
April 25th, 2009
4:55 pm
draft Dodger, we all know NE has a knack for finding a gem QB in late rounds (Brady and Cassell). we’re talking about the Jets. I don’t know how good their track record is about drafting. Remember, they drafted Gholston last year. I thought the Bengals were done drafting players with questionable characters. they just another one in Andre Smith
sam k
April 25th, 2009
4:56 pm
wow, the raiders are nuts
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:57 pm
Sam, you make some good points and I definitely agree with you on Smith. But my comments about Cassell were more about how USC produces QBs, and for every Cassell and Brady NE picks, they pick Rohan Davey (remember him?)
Brandon
April 25th, 2009
4:57 pm
Draft Dodger you’re right
The Raiders select Darius Heyward Bey…wow..
They must be setting up some kind of trade or something…what a REACH!!!
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
4:57 pm
Raiders take Darius Heyward-Bey of Maryland. I like him, too.
I heard some negatives on Crabtree’s attitude, by the way.
Green Tea
April 25th, 2009
4:57 pm
Bey over Crabtree??? BWAAAHAHAHAHA, Raiders SUCK
Jerry
April 25th, 2009
4:58 pm
I would trade back into the 2 nd round. I hope them steriod injury prone players from USC stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:58 pm
Al Davis is bat**** crazy. Time for a vote of no-confidence in that front office.
SEC Fan
April 25th, 2009
4:58 pm
Mark,
Time will tell.
Wonder what the movers and shakers of the Detroit Lions think about the opinions of the AJC sport department? I already know what the NCAA and NAACP has said the past two weeks about (Mike Carvell & Terence Moore). My money says that the NFL Professionals would say the exact same thing about you-”who cares what he thinks OR says”?
country boy
April 25th, 2009
4:58 pm
MB you may be right about Smith but what is the mindset of a person that walks out of the most important job interview of his life?
Left to Right
April 25th, 2009
4:59 pm
Stafford threw 7 fewer interceptions and had a higher completion percentage in 2008 than Matt Ryan had in his final year. Stafford, of course, was playing against much better defenses.
Would you call Ryan “inattentive”?
And “Clean Cut” is going to love Cushing.
Jack G.
April 25th, 2009
4:59 pm
OK Mark—give the laptop to Carol—she looks better than you and will give us more frequent comments.
sam k
April 25th, 2009
4:59 pm
mr. Bradley. do you have a player that you don’t like? I’m sure many teams like Heyward-Bey but not @ # 7!
Draft Dodger
April 25th, 2009
4:59 pm
Mark, the Raiders have never cared about bad attitudes, why start now? If they really didn’t like Crabtree, take Jeremy Maclin. Geez.
Jerry
April 25th, 2009
5:01 pm
I hope them USC players get drafted soon.
sam k
April 25th, 2009
5:02 pm
Crabtree is burning inside. He can’t wait to play against the teams that have passed on him.
BugKiller
April 25th, 2009
5:02 pm
Mark, would you agree that what Detroit should do is either move up or hope that Ole Miss’s nice, big TACKLE, Michael Oher is sitting there at 20?
Cause, you know, if I’m Detroit, I would try and emmulate Tommy D’s draft from last year.
Michael Oher could be just what Detroit needs to fix their terrible O-line.
coach smith
April 25th, 2009
5:04 pm
IF MORENO is there at 24 the FALCONS MUST TAKE HIM
I know we “need” defense BUT in the first round you take the BEST PLAYER
TURNER gets SOOOOOOO many carries it is dangerous and the NFL is a TWO-BACK League anyway
Trade NORWOOD for a later round pick and TAKE MORENO if he is there
Mark Bradley
April 25th, 2009
5:04 pm
I love every player in this draft. Except Matthew Stafford.
I’m kidding.
Jerry
April 25th, 2009
5:05 pm
Monroe is better than Oher.
Mark da don
April 25th, 2009
5:05 pm
jags got crabtree no doubt